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Winemaker Notes

Mature low-yielding estate vineyards yield a concentrated wine, aged 18 months in American oak. Bouquet of ripe red fruit is well integrated with toasty/balsamic notes, rich texture from a great vintage offering plenty of stuffing for the cellar, while elegant Rioja acidity keeps it fresh.

Critical Acclaim

Long on red fruit, this wine's texture has some tannic grit that makes the fruit feel firm and complex. The tannins are gentle carrying some funky earthiness, somewhere between black tea and chocolate, but the wine is neither thick nor sweet. It's a mellow, fruit-driven Rioja to serve with any roast meats.

Lorinon

In 2013 Bodegas Breton and the Lorinon brand were acquired by the Montaña family and its winemaking entity, Union de Viticultores Riojanos. UVR comprises over 350 hectares of mature to ancient vines that are either owned or under continuous contract throughout the Rioja Alta and Alavesa regions. Lorinon Crianza is almost entirely composed of old-vine Tempranillo, aged 14 months in a mixture of used American and French oak. The Reserva includes a higher percentage of the rare Graciano and utilizes a higher percentage of French oak, and is aged an additional year in bottle before release.

Rioja

Highly regarded for distinctive and age-worthy red wines, Rioja is Spain’s most celebrated wine region. Made up of three different sub-regions of varying elevation: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Baja. Wines are typically a blend of fruit from all three, although single-zone wines are beginning to gain in popularity. Rioja Alta, at the highest elevation, is considered to be the source of the brightest, most elegant fruit, while grapes from the warmer and drier Rioja Baja produce wines with deep color and higher alcohol, which can add great body and richness to a blend.

Fresh and fruity Riojas labeled, Joven, (meaning young) see minimal aging before release, but more serious Rioja wines undergo multiple years in oak. Crianza and Reserva styles are aged around six months to one year in oak, and Gran Reserva at least two (plus three years in bottle), but in practice this maturation period is often quite a bit longer—up to about fifteen years.

Tempranillo provides the backbone of Rioja red wines, adding complex notes of red and black fruit, leather, toast and tobacco, while Garnacha supplies body. In smaller percentages, Graciano and Mazuelo (Carignan) often serve as “seasoning” with additional flavors and aromas. These same varieties are responsible for flavorful dry rosés.

White wines, typically balancing freshness with complexity, are made mostly from crisp, fresh Viura. Some whites are blends of Viura with aromatic Malvasia, and then barrel fermented and aged to make a more ample, richer style of white.

Tempranillo

Notoriously food-friendly with soft tannins and a bright acidity, Tempranillo is the star of Spain’s Rioja and Ribera del Duero regions and important throughout most of Spain. Depending on location, it takes on a few synonyms; in Penedès, it is known as Ull de Llebre and in Valdepeñas, goes by Cencibel. Furthermore in Portugal, known as Tinta Roriz, it is a key component both in Port and the dry red wines of the Douro. The New World regions of California, Washington and Oregon have all had success with Tempranillo, producing a ripe, amicable and fruit-dominant style of red.

Perfect Pairings

Tempranillo’s modest, fine-grained tannins and good acidity make it extremely food friendly. Pair these with a wide variety of Spanish-inspired dishes—especially grilled lamb chops, a rich chorizo and bean stew or paella.

Sommelier Secret

The Spanish take their oak aging requirements very seriously, especially in Rioja. There, a naming system is in place to indicate how much time the wine has spent in both barrel and bottle before release. Rioja labeled Joven (a fresh and fruity style) spends a year or less in oak, whereas Gran Reserva (complex and age-worthy) must be matured for a minimum of two years in oak and three years in bottle before release. Requirements on Crianza and Reserva fall somewhere in between.